Had my first Sunfish capsize yesterday and quickly realized that 'stand on the daggerboard' only works if the daggerboard is actually secured to the vessel and not floating 20 feet away. Seeking advice on how best to secure the daggerboard in place.
The dagger board should have a flat spring near the top to prevent it from slipping out.
You can also attach a lanyard through a hole drilled in the stopper board if it's not there now.
Another solution is a bungee cord around the splash guard and the board.
Need more details as to why the board was out and what is the vintage of the boat.
Need to post a picture of your Dagger Board. Could be something someone made that is not standard thickness, missing the spring strap etc. Wooden boards float and when the hull is upside-down the spring strap and the buoyancy of the wood keeps it in place.
The aforementioned bungee cord may be the best solution. First, it allows you to raise and lower the board to different heights (including full up for beaching) and keep it in place and second it keeps the board in the trunk in the event of a capsize. The little brass spring only works when the board is full down and frankly doesn't work that well.
Neglected to mention an important detail - the top of the top boom hit the bottom when the capsize was nearly complete, and it stuck there, so the boat didn't completely invert. The result was that every time I slid the daggerboard in, it slid straight back out again. Best preventative solution seems to be a shock cord running from bow to top of daggerboard - 'daggerboard retainer' as described in rigging manual.
A shock cord, as described above, will help solve these problems. Many racers run the cord from the hole in the board (or from the handle) up around the mast and through the tack (where the booms come together) back to the board on the other side of the mast.
This will hold the board up downwind and keep it from falling out of the boat if you capsize. It also helps hold the boom out in very light air (JC Strap)
A shock cord, as described above, will help solve these problems. Many racers run the cord from the hole in the board (or from the handle) up around the mast and through the tack (where the booms come together) back to the board on the other side of the mast.
This will hold the board up downwind and keep it from falling out of the boat if you capsize. It also helps hold the boom out in very light air (JC Strap)